By Ada Nkong
A participant in the just concluded director cadre promotion of the federal civil service has advocated decentralisation of the examinations.
In a write up made available to Newsannex, the participant outlined the challenges and proffered solutions.
See full write up below:
“𝙍𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚: 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞s𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣”
𝙄. 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙁𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙫𝙞𝙘𝙚
The Federal Civil Service of Nigeria has a rich history dating back to 1954 when the country was still a British colony. Since then, it has grown from a modest workforce to a sprawling bureaucracy comprising 36 ministries and numerous departments. Over the years, the civil service has played a vital role in implementing government policies and programmes, contributing significantly to the country’s development.
II.𝘿𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙙𝙧𝙚 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:
The Directorate Cadre Promotion Examination is a crucial step in the career advancement of civil servants in Nigeria. To reach the coveted GL 15 and GL 17 levels, officers must spend three and four years, respectively, at each level, demonstrating their expertise and dedication. However, the centralised examination process has become a major obstacle, causing undue stress and frustration among candidates.
𝙄𝙄𝙄. 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞s𝙚𝙙 𝙀𝙭𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:
Every year, thousands of civil servants from across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, converge on the Public Service Institute, Dutse-Alhaji, Abuja, to write the examination. The journey is often arduous, with candidates facing numerous challenges, including travel hazards, insecurity, and the financial burden of transporting themselves to and from Abuja. To make matters worse, many candidates are not paid their Duty Tour Allowance (DTA), further exacerbating their financial woes.
𝙄𝙑. 𝙉𝙤 𝙑𝙖𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙙𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙚:
The centralised examination process has also given rise to the “No Vacancy Syndrome,” where candidates write the examination multiple times without being promoted. This has led to frustration and demotivation among senior officers, some of whom have resigned from the service after seeing their subordinates promoted ahead of them. The situation is further complicated by the lack of transparency in the promotion process, leaving candidates in the dark about their chances of advancement.
𝙑. 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝘼 𝙎𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣:
To address these challenges, the Directorate Cadre Promotion Examination must follow the model adopted for GL 01-13 examinations. By hosting examinations in state capitals across the six geo-political zones, the government can reduce travel costs and risks, increase accessibility, and promote fairness. This approach will also help to alleviate the suffering of civil servants, who have endured years of frustration and demotivation.
𝙑𝙄. 𝘼𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙍𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨:
In addition to decentralizing the examination, the government should review and streamline the promotion process, increasing transparency and communication with candidates. Adequate resources and infrastructure should be provided for examinations, ensuring that candidates have a conducive environment in which to write.
Furthermore, the National Assembly, through its oversight, should ensure that officers are promoted as and when due, without unnecessary delays. Special recognition should be given to teachers (Education Officers) in Federal Unity Colleges, as well as those in the Ministries of Defence, Police Affairs, Office of the Head of Service of the Federation (OHSOF), and other Ministries, who have suffered significant deprivation despite their critical role in raising and nurturing the future of Nigeria.
These dedicated public servants have been instrumental in shaping the minds of Nigeria’s future leaders, yet they have been overlooked and underappreciated for far too long. It is time for the government to acknowledge their contributions and reward their hard work and dedication with timely promotions and adequate compensation.
By implementing these reforms, the government can revitalize the Federal Civil Service, promoting a more inclusive and accessible approach to career advancement, and recognizing the value and contributions of all public servants, particularly teachers and education officers.
NewsAnnexOnline 